NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� a fixture at NBC for more than two decades, says she will leave her morning perch on the 鈥淭oday鈥� show early next year,
In a memo to her team 鈥� and later in an emotional on-air reveal Thursday 鈥� Kotb said her 60th birthday this summer helped trigger the departure: 鈥淚 saw it all so clearly: my broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie.鈥�
Kotb has co-anchored the first two hours of 鈥淭oday鈥� with Savannah Guthrie since 2018, filling in after Matt Lauer was She continued to co-host of the fourth hour of the morning show with Jenna Bush Hager, having previously hosted it alongside Kotb first joined NBC News as a correspondent for 鈥淒ateline鈥� in 1998, and later joined 鈥淭oday鈥� in 2007.
Her daughters are Haley, 7, and Hope, 5.
Kotb was surrounded by her co-workers when she told viewers of her decision, saying, 鈥淭his is the hardest thing in the world鈥� and 鈥淚鈥檝e been practicing so I wouldn鈥檛 cry, but anyway, I did.鈥�
鈥淲e love you so much,鈥� Guthrie, who has co-anchored 鈥淭oday鈥� with Kotb for more than five years, said with tears in her eyes. 鈥淎nd when you look around and see these tears, they鈥檙e love. You are so loved. We don鈥檛 want to imagine this place without you.鈥�
Kotb's goodbye note mentioned many of her co-workers, like Al Roker: 鈥淪avannah: my rock. Jenna: my ride-or-die. Al: my longest friend at 30 Rock.鈥�
鈥淗appily and gratefully, I plan to remain a part of the NBC family, the longest work relationship I鈥檝e been lucky enough to hold close to my heart. I鈥檒l be around. How could I not? Family is family and you all will always be a part of mine,鈥� she wrote.
鈥淚鈥檓 actually excited for her,鈥� said , an associate professor of digital storytelling at the George Washington University. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a huge loss, but I am so excited to see what she鈥檚 going to do next. I think it鈥檚 poignant. It comes a point in all of our lives: You do have to pivot.鈥�
The move leaves two morning slots open for NBC as it tries to regain the top morning slot from ABC's 鈥淕ood Morning America,鈥� which features Robin Roberts, George Stephanopoulos and Michael Strahan.
Cheers said Kotb had the ability to do hard news and soft, be welcoming but also no-nonsense, making her a hard person to replace.
鈥淪he was able to bring a brevity and just a bubbly light touch, but also could be someone that鈥檚 going to talk about very serious and heavy topics. She鈥檚 trusted. You feel that if she鈥檚 reporting that it鈥檚 going to be fair and it鈥檚 going to be balanced. And that is really hard to come by,鈥� Cheers said.
Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
